8 questions from the UPSC 2019 examination.
8 questions
Q8 (Paper 2). (a) 'NITI Aayog' changed India's economic development strategy, but its effectiveness is uncertain given financial powers far less than its predecessor. Analyze. (b) Paradoxically, despite law-and-order being a State subject, Central agencies - NIA and paramilitary forces - restrict State Government powers. Discuss. (c) Finance Commission performance grants have increased local body financial accountability. Elaborate.
Q2 (Paper 2). (a) Article 356 acts "very much like the proverbial bolt from the blue" without notice to State Governments. This undermines State autonomy and demeans the President's status. Critically analyze. (b) Public Sector Undertakings were expected to take the Indian economy to the "commanding heights"; instead successive governments have pushed disinvestment. Critically examine how the scenario changed. (c) Emerging developmental aspirations necessitate constitutional amendment to change safeguards available to civil servants. Evaluate the pros and cons.
Q3 (Paper 2). (a) "Strong PMO is anti-thesis to collective responsibility of Council of Ministers". Examine issues relating to PMO vis-a-vis Council of Ministers. (b) Capacity issues relating to employees have hampered government programme implementation. Trace the reasons in the context of the National Training Policy, 2012. (c) Bank non-performing assets strategy may burden taxpayers. Examine government's role in protecting both interests. Large-scale privatization of key economy sectors may affect India's economic health. Comment.
Q1 (Paper 2). Write short answers in about 150 words each (10x5=50 marks): (a) In the text of Arthashastra, 'the state is neither a police State nor merely a tax gathering State'. Comment. (b) The economic reforms have significantly infringed the basic values and spirit of the Indian Constitution. Examine. (c) Macaulay's ideas on Indian Civil Service corresponded to the elite theory of bureaucracy, which continues to persist. Do you agree? Justify. (d) There has been an opinion that the ethos of Indian Judicial System continues to be colonial. Suggest measures for raising the level of judicial excellence for achieving speedy justice. (e) Various commissions have reiterated the crucial role of the Governor in Indian system of governance, but the successive governments have not heeded to make the Governor's office apolitical. Examine with example.
Q6 (Paper 2). (a) District Collector's office merely funnels government schemes, collects statistics, and handles VIP duties. Critically examine its role as per the Second Administrative Reforms Commission recommendations. (b) Minimal accountability dominating political systems means Lokpal remains an ideal institution with limited effectiveness. Explain. (c) 'Sevottam Scheme' possessed great service delivery reform potential, but the opportunity was frittered away. Comment.
Q2 (Paper 1). (a) "Governance is neither a paradigm nor a panacea for all the ills of government. It may be a more useful approach when other methods fail in providing public service." Critically evaluate. (b) With the entry of the concept of 'good governance' the discipline has shed its statistical character. Explain. (c) Has New Public Management failed in promoting a democratic polity? Analyze contextually.
Q1 (Paper 1). Write short answers in about 150 words each (10x5=50 marks): (a) "Public Administration is constantly being reinvented because it is contextual." Elaborate. (b) "Bureau pathology denigrates competence in organization." Explain. (c) "If there is ever to be a science of Public Administration it must derive from an understanding of man's behavior." Explain. (d) Chester Barnard in 'The Function of the Executive' injected 'the social' in the study of organization. Explain in this context how the executive is expected to play a much greater role than a manager. (e) "Delegated legislation has become a strategic tool in the hands of the executive despite its utility." Comment.
Q5 (Paper 2). (a) Evidence suggests deliberative democracy could not be realized at grassroot level. Evaluate the impediments to Gram Sabha functioning. (b) "The RTI has started its journey, but is far from its destination." Examine the current status of the RTI movement. (c) New localism arrangement may defeat the purpose of local self-governance. Do you agree? Justify. (d) An effective Performance Management System needs a preceding process of 'taking deadwood out' from bureaucracy. Comment. (e) All-weather rural connectivity schemes to unconnected habitations can transform rural economy potential. Do you agree? Justify.